


First Date

by ajstyling



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, First Dates, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 05:36:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21333106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajstyling/pseuds/ajstyling
Summary: Modern AU: Claude takes Hilda to an axe throwing range for their first date.
Relationships: Hilda Valentine Goneril/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 65





	First Date

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to ThereWasOnlyOneBed for the cute idea for this fic as well as helpful edits. Any typos are wholly mine.

Anna’s Axe Emporium opened in the 1990s, with the promise of “An axe for every occasion!” It wasn’t a sustainable business. In the early 2000s, Anna converted the store into Anna’s Novelty Axe Emporium and quickly became a popular choice for cosplayers and weapon collectors alike. After a decade and a half of success, Anna decided to expand her business by creating Anna’s Axe Throwing Range. The throwing range was situated a short distance from Garreg Mach University allowing it to attract customers from the three bordering cities of Adrestia, Faerghus, and Leicester. 

As Claude pulled into the axe throwing range’s parking lot, he prayed to whatever deity may or may not exist that it would live up to the hype. As he pulled into an open parking space, he glanced nervously to his right, “Here we are!”

Hilda sat in the passenger seat, playing with a strand of her long pink hair and looking at the sign for the axe throwing range with a mixture of boredom and disdain. She turned towards Claude with a meaningful glance. “Claude…” she paused, “I’m glad you finally asked me out, but gods I hope you’re not planning to make me sweat on a first date.” 

“Oh sweet Hilda, axe throwing is easy. You’ll see, no sweating required,” he assured her.

She responded with an exaggerated rolling of her eyes, but still gave him a small nod before exiting the car. Claude swore he heard her muttering something about “lucky you’re cute” as she shut the door after her and he quickly exited as well. 

As they made their way toward the range, Claude tapped his fingers against his thigh nervously. 

“I can’t believe it took you so long to ask me out,” Hilda teased. 

“Didn’t know how to ask,” Claude answered simply.

“Really?”

“Really. I’m like... phenomenally bad at talking with women,” Claude blushed.

Hilda chuckled wondering to herself how it was possible for a cute, funny boy like Claude to be bad at talking to women. 

As they entered the door to the throwing range, Hilda asked, “So, exactly how long have you wanted to ask me out?” 

Claude looked down at his feet, using a hand to rub the back of his neck absentmindedly. “Ummm.. a couple months. To be honest it took me at least a month just to think of some flirting strategies that wouldn’t leave me a stupid, blathering mess.”

“Oh? Why don’t you tell me some of those strategies you devised?” Hilda teased

“Uhh. W-well, the thing is…”

Claude’s blathering was interrupted as a young man standing behind a long wooden desk in the entryway called out to them, “Hello! Can I help you two?”

“We have a reservation. For two.” Claude responded.

“Name?” the boy asked disinterestedly

“Claude.”

The bored employee looked down at the laptop in front of him and typed for a few moments before looking back at Claude with a bored expression. “Okay, first we’ll need to you fill out these liability waivers…” He started before launching into a clearly pre-rehearsed speech about axe safety.

As the young boy rambled, Claude glanced at sideways at Hilda. Their eyes locked briefly and Hilda raised an eyebrow before silently mouthing, “Liability waiver?”

“Trust me.” Claude mouthed back.

Hilda rolled her eyes, but her retort was interrupted by the young man asking them if they had any questions.

They both shook their heads quickly and signed the waivers

“Great,” the employee said. “Head down to lane five. Your axe coach will be with you shortly.”

Claude and Hilda exited the entryway through a small door to the right of the wooden desk they checked in at. They entered a much larger room which housed the actual axe throwing range, separated into a series of individual lanes. As they made their way to the lane designated as five, Hilda nudged Claude, “Hasn’t anyone ever told you to never make a pretty girl sign a liability waiver on a first date?” 

Claude smirked, “Ohhh, I thought they were telling me to _always_ make a pretty girl sign a liability waiver.”__

_ _Hilda lightly slapped Claude’s arm, “Why would anyone say that, you dork?”_ _

_ _Claude laughed, relishing the way Hilda’s hand lingered on his arm for just a moment longer than necessary after slapping it. “Come on, what’s a good first date without some risk?”_ _

_ _“A normal first date.” Hilda shook her head grinning widely. _ _

_ _“So, this is probably a bad time to tell you I’m lining up skydiving for our second date?” Claude winked at her as they stopped at the only empty lane in the entire place. _ _

_ _Standing in front of their lane was a short woman with dark blue hair. Claude and Hilda watched as she removed an axe from the box beside her, tossed the axe high into the air with her right hand and catching it in her left before cocking her arm back and throwing it down range at the target. The axe made a loud thud as it lodged itself into the wooden target at the end of the range--a perfect bullseye._ _

_ _“Let’s make it through this one first,” Hilda muttered._ _

_ _The woman pulled another axe out of the box beside before turning around and facing them, “I’m Shamir. Ready to learn how to throw axes?” She asked while tossing the axe back and forth between her two hands._ _

_ _Claude nodded enthusiastically and Hilda gave a noncommittal shrug at exactly the same time._ _

_ _Shamir briefly walked them through proper throwing techniques, being sure to mention that tossing an axe into the air and catching it in their other hand before throwing it at the target was not “technically” an Anna approved method of throwing an axe. After a few minutes walking them through the rules, safety procedures, and proper throwing method she asked, “So, who wants to go first?”_ _

_ _Hilda nodded at Claude, “Go ahead Mr. Risk Taker. Show me how it’s done.” _ _

_ _Claude laughed and confidently approached the box of axes. He pulled one out, refraining from tossing it between his hands, and slowly lifted it behind his head with two hands on the handle. He held it behind his head for a moment before flicking his arms up and over his head, releasing the axe when it was above his head. The axe traveled quickly down the lane before the blunt end of the axe struck against the wood. The axe bounced off the target and fell down to the ground next to it._ _

_ _Shamir shrugged, “Pretty normal for a first throw. Try again. Sometimes I find it helps to imagine the target as a big spider.”_ _

_ _“Ewww,” Hilda whined. “How could that ever possibly help? Like at all.”_ _

_ _“Hilda’s got a point.” Claude muttered._ _

_ _Shamir shrugged, “To each their own. Try again.”_ _

_ _Claude grabbed the second axe from the box and once again wound it up behind his head. He flicked his arms forward and this time released a half-a-second later. This time the axe lodged itself inside the outermost rim of the wooden target with a satisfying thud. _ _

_ _Claude gave a celebratory fist pump before turning to Hilda and wagging his eyebrows, “Pretty impressive for a second throw, huh?”_ _

_ _Hilda shook her head and pretended to bow, “All hail our fearless axe throwing champion.”_ _

_ _“Flattery will get you everywhere, Hilds.” Claude smirked._ _

_ _While they chatted, Shamir walked quickly down to the end of the lane and retrieved the axes. She returned with the axes and turned towards Hilda, “You’re next.”_ _

_ _Hilda sighed and gently took one of the axes from Shamir. Shamir placed the other axe into the box as Hilda positioned herself at the end of the lane and got ready to throw. _ _

_ _Unlike Claude, Hilda only kept her right hand on the axe handle as she positioned it to the side of her face. She took one quick breath before effortlessly flicking her arm forward and releasing the axe. The axe soared down the lane and lodged itself directly in the middle of the target. _ _

_ _“Pretty impressive for a first throw, huh?” Hilda teased._ _

_ _“Holy shh--” Claude began. _ _

_ _Before he could finish, Hilda quickly grabbed the second axe from the box throwing it with a speed and precision that was hard to follow. Much like the first, the second axe was lodged directly in the middle of the target. Two perfect bullseyes._ _

_ _“--it” Claude finished. _ _

_ _All three of them sat silently for a moment, looking at the target and each other. Shamir broke the silence first, “Nice throws.”_ _

_ _They continued for another twenty minutes taking turns throwing at the target. Claude, for his part, showed some decent improvement even managing to throw one bullseye by the end of their session. Hilda, for her part, never missed the center of the target. Bullseye, after bullseye, after bullseye. _ _

_ _After twenty minutes, Shamir thanked them both, offered Hilda a job as an instructor at the range, and reminded them to come again soon. Hilda laughed away the job offer and both her and Claude bid Shamir goodbye._ _

_ _As they left the axe throwing range, Claude turned towards Hilda and asked, “So, are you secretly an assassin or something?”_ _

_ _“Pshhh,” Hilda responded sweetly, “You know I don’t have any secrets.”_ _

_ _“Okay, not assassin. So you’re...a… lumberjack? With lots of axe experience?” _ _

_ _“That doesn’t even make sense.” _ _

_ _“Come from a family of professional axe throwers?”_ _

_ _“Any more guesses?”_ _

_ _Claude gave Hilda an exaggerated pout as they reached his car, “Come on, Hilds. Secret for secret. I’ll tell you about the prank I definitely should have been arrested for and you tell me how you’re so good at throwing axes.”_ _

_ _Hilda looked up at Claude and smiled, “Maybe on our second date.” _ _

_ _With that, she grabbed the front of his shirt in one hand and used it to pull his face down towards hers._ _

_ _Only a few inches away from her face, Claude gulped, “Second date?” _ _

_ _“Yes and maybe this time something without a liability waiver,” Hilda winked and stood on her tiptoes, gently pressing her lips against his._ _

_ _After a few moments they pulled back, both a little flushed._ _

_ _“So,” Claude started, “I guess skydiving is out for the second date then?”_ _

**Author's Note:**

> I spent a ludicrous amount of time writing this just thinking about parts of this au that didn't even make it into the story. 
> 
> For all things fire emblem, both au and not, hit me up on twitter @ajstyyling.


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